ontario nest records scheme - Atlas of the Breeding Bird of Ontario

ISSN 0228-0787
ONTARIO NEST RECORDS SCHEME – ONRS 37
THIRTY –SEVENTH REPORT (1956 – 2005)
George K. Peck and Mark K. Peck
Spring/Summer 2006
ROSS’S GOOSE - FRONT COVER
We are honoured and grateful to Barry Kent MacKay for donating the profit from the sale of this painting to assist
in the publications cost of this, our 50th anniversary report. His excellent painting of a Ross’s Goose pair at the nest
is not only a wonderful addition to the report, but it is particularly appropriate for 2005, since the first two Ontario
nests of this species were located in Kenora District in 2005.
ONTARIO NEST RECORDS SCHEME
Thirty-Seventh Report (1956 – 2005)
OUR 50th ANNIVERSARY!!!
The Ontario Nest Records Scheme (ONRS) at
the close of 2005 has been operative for 50
nesting seasons. Thus, in our semi-centennial year
gathering of this ‘best-of-all’ breeding evidence, the
active nest with its accompanying data, can be of vital
importance to all our efforts to conserve the biodiversity
of our birdlife.
we continue to be one of the longest-running avian
monitoring programs in Ontario. Begun in 1956 by
George Francis and James Woodford, we were the
second nest record program in Canada, after the
British Columbia Nest Record Scheme, initiated in
1955 by M.T. Myres. Unlike the British Columbia
scheme we do not consider broods away from the
nest in our database. Our volunteer program is based
in Ornithology, Department of Natural History,
Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), Toronto, Ontario,
where the nest record cards and the computer
database are stored. The ONRS is, essentially, a
collection of data records, each detailing one or
more visits to an occupied bird’s nest, a nest under
active construction, or to an active nesting colony, in
Ontario. The majority of the current nest records are
submitted annually by field volunteers who find
active bird nests and record and submit the
significant data on nest cards, or on-line by
computer. In regard to nest record entry, hard-copy
cards are preferred to on-line entry for purposes of
processing and summarizing this data. However, if
on-line entry is chosen, contributors are urged to
carefully enter all known fields and to always supply
their observer numbers, provincial region codes (4
letters, not numbers), coordinates or written location,
visit dates, nest contents and/or nest activity, and
habitat particulars for each nest record.
Again, in this final year of the Ontario
Breeding Bird Atlas, our cooperative association has
resulted in a steady increase in valued nest records,
as nests discovered by atlassers are submitted to the
ONRS. In addition to the nests reported by our
regular ONRS contributors, these atlas records are
greatly appreciated and are a valued asset to our
database, especially the records from the littleworked areas in northern Ontario. We urge all
atlassers to submit all of their nest finds, and also, to
continue to work their squares for this purpose, after
2005. The ONRS is a continuing program and the
NEST DATA SUBMISSION
All nest records from both current and previous years,
should now only be entered on-line or on the prenumbered scannable nest cards, now in their sixth year
of use. Earlier-version cards cannot be scanned directly
into our database and require laborious and time
consuming entry. On-line entry is available at
www.birdsontario.org/onrs/onrsmain,html. From this
same website the instructional Ontario Nest Records
Handbook, and the blue, four-fold ONRS Coding
System field card can be down-loaded. The ONRS
Annual Report and the up-to-date six-part Revisions of
the two volumes of the Breeding Birds of Ontario and
the Volume 1 Appendix, can also be down-loaded from
the Ontario Nest Records Scheme website:
www.birdsontario.org/onrs/nidiology.html.
MAKING OUT NEST CARDS (important points to
remember).
1. County/Region codes:Because each species’ cards
are tracked and filed alphabetically by region, it is
very important that these 4-letter codes be entered
in the provided space. Do not write the atlas region
number in this space. See in the Handbook or Table
2 of this report for the 4-letter regional codes.
2. Observer Number: Always include your number
because it may be our only access to your address. If
you do not have a number, please advise and one
will be supplied. This number is the same as that
supplied to atlas participants.
3. Coordinates: If possible, list coordinates for the
nest location. These may be either latitude/longitude
(degrees, minutes, seconds – not decimals) or,
preferably, UTM (northing/easting) points, and both
can be determined by the use of topographical/atlas
maps or GPS units. If no method for determining
coordinates is available, write in a location in the
provided space on the card. When using UTM
coordinates please include the 2-number UTM
ZONE (e.g. 15, 16, 17, 18).
1
4. Species Codes: Always include these 4-letter
codes, which are found on the blue Coding
System Card.
5. Colony Cards: A single card will suffice for
colony visits; nest numbers and contents can be
written in the Comments section.
6. Brown-headed Cowbird: Please indicate
cowbird eggs/young when present, and do not
remove these from the nest as removal often
causes nest desertion. A second card for cowbird
is no longer necessary.
7. Nest Visit Dates: Correct visit dates are vital,
and should always be included. They enable the
determination of egg dates, incubation periods,
fledging times, etc.
8. Comments: Bear in mind that written
comments, although encouraged, are not read by
the computer and have to be entered by hand in
to the database. They should not replace the
proper Visit Status Codes or Habitat Codes,
but should only amplify them or provide
information not covered by these codes.
However, it should be stressed that shrub and
tree
names,
nest
positions/materials/measurements, surrounding
vegetation, habitat descriptions etc. are all
important, useful and welcome items of
information.
Nest contents of Pileated Woodpecker, (eg. PIWO202678A)
taken with digital camera inside nest cavity - photo M. K.
Peck
CURRENT YEAR RECORDS ENTRY
In 2005, ONRS and OBBA volunteers submitted another
outstanding total of 3,491 nest records in time for
inclusion in this report. The increased totals over the past
five years indicate the welcome addition of atlas records
to those of our ONRS contributors. The ONRS records
total is now 134,601 and when colonial nests and cards
listing more than one nest are added, we have an
approximate total of 4,500,000 nests in our database. We
continue to maintain a large file of breeding records
that do not involve actual nests, but these records are not
included in the above totals. Thus, many confirmed
Atlas records are not included in our nest totals, although
they are included in the species’ summaries in the two
volumes of the Breeding Birds of Ontario and their
Revisions and Appendices, and these current breeding
records will be included in future revisions.
SEND US YOUR NEST IMAGES
Nest photographs can provide documentation for
nestings and, in addition, can add useful information,
when accompanying a nest record. We would
encourage you to submit your nest photographs,
particularly for less common species or extralimital
records.
Simply send your digital images to
onrs@rom.on.ca. Name the files using the prefix 4
letter species code followed by the ONRS card
number. Files should be sent as medium resolution
jpegs. If you are sending hard copies please record
the species code and ONRS card number on the back
of the print or the edge of the slide. If you are
sending multiple images of the same nest please use
a lettered suffix.
IN MEMORY OF:
It is with deep regret that we report the deaths of two
valued contributors to the ONRS, Gordon Bellerby of
Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON, 17 January 2005; and
Charles J. Whitelaw of Hanmer, ON, 29 June 2005.
Gordon Bellerby was a long-time contributor to the
ONRS, who contributed a total of 295 nest records
dating back to 1966. Among his nest records was
included a 24-year history of a Common Loon nest on an
island in a Haliburton Lake that indicated that an
identical site had been occupied for 22 of those 24 years.
He was an active member of the Toronto Ornithological
Club for many years, while living in Toronto.
2
Charles Whitelaw began contributions to the
ONRS in 1981, and submitted a total of 664 nest
records. From his location in Sudbury he submitted
many records of Common Raven and other northern
birds. He wrote articles on the breeding of Great
Gray Owl in 1997, and also on the sixth reported
nest of Northern Hawk Owl, also in 1997.
Ross’s Goose habitat – 15 June, 2005, west of Cape Henrietta
Maria, Kenora District – photo C. D. Jones
Sixth reported nest of Northern Hawk Owl, Manitoulin
Island – photo G. K. Peck
We are continuing to enter all current nest
records in our database, and to geo-reference those
records, so that all our data, including mapped nest
locations will be available on computer for study
purposes.
Some of the larger submissions for this report
include the following:
1. OMNR London – forest bird study – 996
nest records.
2. Bird, G. & H. – historical records – 478
nest records.
3. Clements, B. – 167 nest records.
4. Peck, M.K. – 155 nest records
For this report, contributors added eight new
species for Grenville, and three new species for each
of Glengarry, Haldimand, Leeds, and Niagara.
In the breeding season of 2005, two new nesting
species were documented for Ontario. Those species
and their contributors were:
1. Ross’s Goose G. Coady, D. Sutherland and C.
Jones. Breeding of this goose was first documented
in 1975, near the mouth of the Brant River, and near
where the two 2005 nests were found and
photographed on Ontario’s Hudson Bay coast.
Ross’s Goose nest – 15 June 2005, west of Cape Henrietta
Maria, Kenora District - photo D. A. Sutherland
2. Bufflehead The first documented nest of this species
was found and photographed on 10 June 2005 at Black
Birch Lake near the Manitoba/Ontario border north of
Woodland Caribou Provincial Park. The first
documented breeding involved the collection of a female
with young in 1938 at Favourable Lake, Kenora District,
and later reports were undocumented sightings of
females entering cavities in 1973 (Cochrane District),
and in 1983 in Kenora District.
The following observation was e-mailed to the
ONRS from Susan and Mike Bryan and accompanied
the photographs:
“On June 10, 2005 while atlassing in Square
15UU61 (near the Manitoba/Ontario border north of
3
Woodland Caribou Provincial Park) we had the good
fortune to discover a Bufflehead nest.
At about six in the evening we canoed to the
east end of Black Birch Lake, pitched the tent and
were cooking supper on a sandy beach at the end of
a shallow marshy bay . We noted a lone female
Bufflehead hanging around in the bay just offshore
from our campsite. I saw it fly circling around
nearer and nearer the beach where we had pitched
the tent. Then it approached a dead Jack Pine about
10 meters from our tent, veering off at the last
minute. I got suspicious, went to examine the tree,
and saw an old Flicker hole on the far side of the
trunk. We moved back a little and watched. Sure
enough she entered the hole a few minutes later!
We saw her coming and going from the hole
several times over the next two days. We assume
she must have been on eggs as the young apparently
leave the hole almost immediately once they are
hatched. Digital photos of the hole and of the duck
and the general habitat were taken.
Bufflehead is not an uncommon species in the
boreal forest in the province where my husband and
I frequently canoe (Region 44). We have seen this
species in suitable nesting habitat (usually beaver
ponds, small lakes) many times but have never
found a nest. In fact, the only previous confirmed
breeding record I personally had for the species was
in the year prior to the Atlas when I found a female
with a brood of small young on a beaver pond on the
Albany River system (Achapi Lake).”
Bufflehead nest snag - 10 June 2005, Black Birch Lake,
Kenora District – photo S. Bryan
In 2005, 178 nesting species were submitted for this
report, along with new nesting regions for 46 species.
No cards were received for this report from Dundas, and
Lennox & Addington, only one from Frontenac, and
three cards from each of Brant and Dufferin. Although
our coverage has improved in southeastern Ontario, it is
obvious that more field work needs to be done there.
CURRENT ONTARIO BREEDING BIRD LIST
The current (2005) Ontario breeding bird list total,
including hypothetical and undocumented nesting and
breeding species remains at 296, of which 289 are
represented by nest cards in the ONRS database.
Included in the total of 296 are seven (7) species
arbitrarily designated as hypothetical (without
documented evidence of nesting or breeding), and
another four (4) breeding species whose nests have not
yet been found, but whose breeding has been
documented by specimen collection and/or the
photography of flightless or recently-fledged young. The
seven hypothetical species are Brant, Yellow-crowned
Night-Heron, Swainson’s Hawk, Eurasian CollaredDove, Kirtland’s Warbler, Connecticut Warbler, and
Snow Bunting. The four breeding species still awaiting
nest discovery and documentation are Surf Scoter,
Bufflehead habitat – 10 June 2005, Black Birch Lake,
Kenora District near the Manitoba border north of
Woodland Caribou Provincial Park. – photo S. Bryan
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American Avocet, Pectoral Sandpiper, and Northern
Shrike. We have undocumented nest records of the
nesting of three of the above-named 11 species, and
these are Swainson’s Hawk, Eurasian CollaredDove, and Connecticut Warbler. Nest cards of these
latter three species are in the ONRS files, but are
bracketed [ ] in the list in Table 1.
2. Sandilands, A., author of Birds of Ontario: Habitat
Requirements, Limiting Factors & Status.
3. Authors/editors of Birds of North America. The
Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and
the American Ornithologists’ Union, Washington,
DC.
4. Curry, Robert, for Birds of Hamilton and
Surrounding Areas (Publication date – September,
2006).
5. Rising, J.D. and D.D. Beadle, authors of The
Sparrows of the United States and Canada.
Academic Press.
6. Canadian Wildlife Service.
7. Bird Studies Canada, Port Rowan, ON
8. Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Ontario (2001-5) –
(Publication date – September, 2007).
9. Global Biodiversity Information Facility –
international organization using ONRS data
worldwide.
10. Campbell, R.W. et al, authors of The Birds of
British Columbia. UBC Press.
11. Authors/editors of Birds of Simcoe County (in
progress).
12. Naturalists of Elgin County for Birds of Elgin
County.
13. Elder, D.H., for The Black-billed Magpie in
Ontario. Ontario Birds 24 (1).
14. Peck, G.K., for Breeding Status and Nest Site
Selection of Common Raven in Ontario. Ontario
Birds 23(2).
15. Torti, V.M. and P.O. Dunn. for Variable effects of
climate change on six species of North American
birds. Oecologia 145: 486-495.
BOOK SALE – below ½ PRICE
Breeding Birds of Ontario: Nidiology and
Distribution, Volume 1: Nonpasserines
Breeding Birds of Ontario: Nidiology and
Distribution, Volume 2: Passerines
We continue to offer these books, now at less than
half price, as long as our dwindling supply lasts. All
proceeds go to the ONRS:
$35.00 a set of both volumes
3.10 postage and handling
2.10 GST.
$40.60 -- Total
To order, mail cheque made out to the Royal Ontario
Museum and send to:
ONRS/Ornithology, Dept. of Natural History,
Royal Ontario Museum,
100 Queen’s Park,
Toronto, ON M5S2C6
Telephone: (416) 586-5523
E-mail: onrs@rom.on.ca
Six-part revisions to both volumes of Breeding Birds
and an Appendix to Volume 1 were published in the
Ontario Field Ornithologists’ journal Ontario Birds,
and these have updated the volumes to 1999. The
text of these update papers can be downloaded from
the Ontario Nest Records Scheme website
http://www.birdsontario.org/onrs/nidiology.html.
Hard copy versions with their photographs can be
purchased from the Ontario Field Ornithologists,
Box 455, Station R, Toronto, ON M4G 4E1.
Completed nest cards, requests for blank cards and
regional nesting lists should be sent to the address or Email on page 3. Coding cards, handbooks, and annual
reports can also be requested or can be downloaded
from;
http://www.birdsontario.org/onrs/onrsmain.html.
Please notify us of mailing address changes so we can
continue to mail out annual reports to all active
contributors. If you do not have an observer number
please let us know and one will be supplied. This
number is the same one that was used for the Ontario
Breeding Bird Atlas.
ONRS AS AN INFORMATION SOURCE
Some of the individuals and organizations who have
recently used and/or are using our database for
conservation and research purposes, and others who
have cited our publications, include:
1. Bird Life International & Lynx Edicions,
Barcelona, publishers of Handbook of the
Birds of the World.
5
to hold lichens on the exterior of the nest such that it
blends better with the branch it is attached to, the branch
also usually encrusted with lichens. Notable here are
Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Eastern Wood-Pewee, and
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher.
The following article was written by Ross D.
James especially for our anniversary issue:
THE SILKEN TOUCH
Birds use many materials to build their nests,
varying materials somewhat to use what is available
locally, even within the same species. But something
that has become widely used by many species, and
important to their nests in several different ways, is
the silk produced by insects (caterpillars) and
spiders. The silk produced by these very different
types of animals is remarkably similar – protein
polymers of various types. Being relatively strong as
well as adhesive, it has been exploited widely by
birds to hold their nests in place, and to bind them
together. There are about 40 species that nest in
Ontario that regularly use insect and/or spider silk in
nest building.
The birds using silk are generally small, with a
nest cup that would be no larger than about 7-8 cm.
The silk may not be strong enough to hold larger
structures together, but it is just as likely that only
the smaller birds are going to be able to gather
enough of it to make it a useful material. Most
people are aware of its use by the Ruby-throated
Hummingbird. It is also used by all our vireos to
help suspend their nests, but apparently not by the
larger orioles. Virtually all of the wood warblers
nesting above ground use silk (except a cavity
nester). Cavity nesters of any species generally do
not use silk. The exceptions would be House Wren
(probably little used) and Brown Creeper.
Silk is used by most of the flycatchers nesting in
Ontario, including the Eastern Kingbird, an
unusually large user. But the largest bird to use silk,
and much larger than expected, is the Gray Jay. It
may be the largest to use silk anywhere in the world.
In this instance, however, the insect cocoons may be
more useful for their insulative value than for
structural integrity. Other species in Ontario using
silk include the kinglets and gnatcatcher, Indigo
Bunting, Field Sparrow, Pine Siskin and American
Goldfinch.
Insect and spider silk is used to attach to or
suspend nests from plants. To some extent,
especially cocoons, the silk can be stretched to allow
some expansion as the nest is built, or stretched by
the growing young. This is purely to provide
structural support. However, perhaps the most
interesting use by several species is in helping to
render the nest less visible. Several species use silk
Ruby-throated Hummingbird nest – photo G. K. Peck
Some species, however, seem to “decorate” the
exterior of their nests with numerous lumps of lightcoloured silk, such as spider egg cases, that offers no
support for the nest. Several vireos typically do this
where nests are suspended from small twigs that have
few or no lichens. In such a situation it is likely that the
irregular whitish spots serve to break up the outline of
the nest, rendering it less visible to potential predators.
The wide availability of insect and spider silk has
been deftly exploited around the world by a fascinating
array of birds. It is not just people to whom silk has
become a valued commodity.
--- Ross D. James
CURRENT HIGHLIGHTS AND LOWLIGHTS
Ross’s Goose – the first two documented nests of this
species were found on the Hudson Bay coast in Kenora
in 2005.
Long-tailed Duck – the 11th nest was found in Kenora
in 2005.
Bufflehead – the first documented nest of this treenesting duck was found in Kenora in 2005.
Red-throated Loon – five nests were found in 2005 in
Kenora by an atlas group.
Pacific Loon – six nests were found in 2005 in Kenora
by atlas groups.
Red-necked Grebe –since 1997, nesting has continued
each year at Bronte Harbour, Halton.
6
Red-eyed Vireo – the most northerly provincial nest
was reported from northwestern Kenora in 2005. Ten
(48%) of 21 nests were parasitized in a 2005 study.
Brown Creeper – in Norfolk in 2005, this species
became the 89th provincial host of the Brown-headed
Cowbird.
Veery – eight (32%) of 25 nests contained eggs/young
of Brown-headed Cowbird in a 2005 study.
Wood Thrush – 18% of 207 Wood Thrush nests were
reported parasitized in 2005.
Orange-crowned Warbler – the third provincial nest
was found in Kenora in 2005 by an atlasser.
Ovenbird – 17% of 42 nests of this species were
parasitized.
Hooded Warbler – an amazing total of 82 nests were
reported by a forest bird study group in 2005, from
Elgin, Middlesex, and Norfolk counties.
Fox Sparrow – the 11th nest was found in Kenora in
2005.
Rose-breasted Grosbeak – of 113 nests found by a
forest bird study group in 2005, only one was parasitized
Dickcissel – a nest of this species was new for Halton
RM in 2005.
Brown-headed Cowbird – the 89th host was the Brown
Creeper – reported in 2005.
American White Pelican – Presently the Lake of
the Woods colonies (ca 7,400 pairs) appear stable,
while the Lake Nipigon colonies (ca 640 pairs) are
increasing.
Great Egret – new nesting sites have recently been
reported: Bergin Island, Stormont County in 2004;
and two locations in Toronto in 2004 and 2005. A
large increase in pair numbers (75 pairs) on
Nottawasaga Island, Simcoe County, coincided with
increasing numbers of Double-crested Cormorants.
Black-crowned Night-Heron – 237 nesting pairs
were reported from Nottawasaga Island, Simcoe
County in 2005, a huge increase also coinciding with
increasing numbers of cormorants.
Merlin – first nests were reported from Durham and
Grenville in 2005, for this increasing falcon.
Peregrine Falcon – 55 confirmed breedings were
reported in 2005.
Yellow Rail – large numbers were noted in Rainy
River in 2005, where the fifth provincial nest was
found.
Common Moorhen – 2005 nests in Essex and
Grenville were the first reported since 1999.
American Coot – still no nests reported since 2000.
Sandhill Crane - a first nesting in Lambton County
in 2005, and recent breeding records from Luther
Marsh, serve to emphasize the increasing number of
breeding reports.
Piping Plover – after a 24 year absence a pair of
Piping Plovers appeared in 2005 at Wasaga Beach,
Simcoe County. Many nest scrapes were made but
no successful nest resulted.
Spotted Sandpiper – a five-egg clutch was reported
from Manitoulin in 2005.
Whimbrel – 7 nests were found in 2005 in Kenora
by atlassers.
Hudsonian Godwit – the sixth provincial nest was
found in Kenora in 2005.
Marbled Godwit – the second nest of this shorebird
was reported from Akimiski Island in 2005.
Short-billed Dowitcher – the second nest of this
shorebird was reported from Akimiski Island in
2005.
Parasitic Jaeger – the seventh nest was found in
Kenora in 2005.
Great Black-backed Gull – nests of this marine
gull were reported from Parry Sound and Simcoe in
2005.
Red-bellied Woodpecker – the most northerly
provincial nest of this Carolinian species was found
in Rainy River District in 2005.
*** Correction: In ONRS 36, the Tufted Titmouse in
Current Highlights (p. 5) should be changed to a Sedge
Wren, and on p. 6, remove ‘Nipissing (2004)’ from the
Tufted Titmouse listing.
NEW NESTINGS FOR ONTARIO REGIONS
Ross’s Goose – Kenora (2005)
Canada Goose – Haldimand (2005), Manitoulin (2005)
Green-winged Teal – Manitoulin (2005)
Bufflehead – Kenora (2005)
Wild Turkey – Leeds (2005)
Double-cr. Cormorant – Chatham-Kent, York (2005),
Great Blue Heron – Glengarry (2005)
Great Egret – Stormont (2004)
Black-crowned Night-Heron – Leeds (2005)
Osprey – Russell (2005)
Northern Goshawk – Grenville (2005)
Red-shouldered Hawk – Grenville (2005)
Broad-winged Hawk – Grenville (2005)
Red-tailed Hawk – Glengarry (2005), Prescott (2005)
Merlin – Durham (2005), Grenville (2005)
Yellow Rail – Rainy River (2005)
Sandhill Crane – Lambton (2005)
Short-billed Dowitcher – Akimiski Island (NWT) (2005)
American Woodcock – Grenville (2005)
7
thank Mike Cadman, Angela Darwin of CWS and their
support staff, and the regional atlas coordinators for their
support of the ONRS. We look forward to the published
result of the second provincial atlas.
We wish to express our gratitude to the staff of the
Ornithology division of the Department of Natural
History, Royal Ontario Museum: Brad Millen,
Departmental Technician, for his expert assistance with
data entry and geo-referencing; Cathy Ayley,
Administrative Coordinator; Sue Chopra, Accounts
Officer; volunteer John Brett for data entry; and to Ross
James, Departmental Associate, for his valued advice on
ONRS matters and published papers using ONRS data.
Bird Studies Canada (BSC) and its staff (Denis
Lepage, Jon McCracken, Rosie Kirton, Susan Debrecini)
have been a valuable source of assistance in nest card
scanning, website maintenance for online card entry and
the downloading of ONRS-related material, assignment
of observer numbers, and for their annual submission of
nest records to the ONRS of such special-interest species
as Bald Eagle, Prothonotary Warbler and others. These
card submissions have helped keep our files on these
signal species complete and up-to-date.
We wish to thank the Ontario Division of the
Canadian Wildlife Service for their interest and annual
financial support of the ONRS, which has ensured that
our important monitoring program continues to flourish
and become the valuable environmental database it is.
Great Black-backed Gull – Parry Sound (2005)
Rock Pigeon – Algoma (2005), Parry Sound (2005)
Yellow-billed Cuckoo – Niagara (2005)
Long-eared Owl – Grenville (2005)
Chimney Swift – Bruce (2003)
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Rainy River (2005)
American Three-toed Woodpecker – Algoma (2005)
Blue-headed Vireo – Timiskaming (2005)
Red-eyed Vireo – Grenville (2005)
American Crow – Lanark (2005), Stormont (2005)
Northern Rough-winged Swallow – Prescott (2005)
White-breasted Nuthatch – Haldimand (2005)
Brown Creeper – Prince Edward (2005)
Carolina Wren – Brant (2005)
Winter Wren – Niagara (2005)
Sedge Wren – Nipissing (2004)
Golden-crowned Kinglet – Niagara (2005)
Veery – Haldimand (2005)
Hermit Thrush – Northumberland (2005)
Tennessee Warbler – Timiskaming (2005)
Chestnut-sided Warbler – Grey (2004)
Prairie Warbler – Hastings (2005)
Mourning Warbler – Lambton (2005)
Swamp Sparrow – Leeds (2005)
Northern Cardinal – Grenville (2005)
Dickcissel – Halton (2005)
Orchard Oriole – Wellington (2005)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We continue to be grateful to our regular ONRS
contributors, and also to the Ontario Breeding Bird
Atlas volunteers, in its final year, who have
submitted nest records to the ONRS. The atlas
records have been an especially valuable
contribution because many of their records were
from little-worked areas of the province. We also
again urge atlassers to retain their squares in the
future and to continue to search for and submit
records of all the nests they find. We would like to
George K. Peck and Mark K. Peck,
ONRS/Ornithology,
Department of Natural History,
Royal Ontario Museum,
100 Queen’s Park,
Toronto, ON M5S 2C6
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Table 1: Card Totals per Species – following the recent revisions of the American Ornithologists Union
Check-List’s 47th supplement.
SPECIES
Snow Goose
Ross’s Goose
Canada Goose
[Brant]
Mute Swan
Trumpeter Swan
Tundra Swan
Wood Duck
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Am. Black Duck
Mallard
Blue-winged Teal
Cinnamon Teal
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Canvasback
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
King Eider
Common Eider
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Red-br. Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Gray Partridge
Ring-necked Pheasant
Ruffed Grouse
Spruce Grouse
Willow Ptarmigan
Sharp-tailed Grouse
Gr. Prairie-Chicken
Wild Turkey
Northern Bobwhite
Red-throated Loon
Pacific Loon
Common Loon
Pre2004 2004
22
5
1419
313
63
10
216
202
25
389
1568
376
1
18
80
34
4
22
36
6
13
1
10
1
8(10)
[2]
130
157
137
39
19
18
155
416
36
40
2
2
36
15
10
24
587
77
13
6
5
7
2005
52
2
107
5
3
4
5
1
12
2
15
2
1
2
1
2
1
1
2
4
3
2
1
8
5
3
1
7
18
1
1
20
5
6
10
SPECIES
Pied-billed Grebe
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Eared Grebe
American White Pelican
Double-cr. Cormorant
American Bittern
Least Bittern
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
Black-cr. Night-Heron
[Yellow-cr. Night-Heron]
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper’s Hawk
Northern Goshawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk
[Swainson’s Hawk]
Red-tailed Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
Golden Eagle
American Kestrel
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
Yellow Rail
King Rail
Virginia Rail
Sora
Common Moorhen
American Coot
Sandhill Crane
American Golden-Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Piping Plover
Killdeer
Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet
Spotted Sandpiper
9
Pre2004
519
12
132(134)
4
50
628
280
387
917
60
1
32
251
481
129
1159(1166)
881(1261)
292
105
181
202
456
246
[1]
1351
9
29
423
143
162
4
14
236
271
530
465
32
6
58
132
1620
853
2004
3
2005
1
5
7
2
11
3
1
35
8
9
31
2
4
7
2
4
7
31
62
5
1
5
2
2
6
3
50
25
5
2
8
2
3
4
35
37
1
11
12
5
2
7
55
1
2
2
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
22
1
10
8
1
14
9
Cont’d. Table 1: Card Totals per Species
SPECIES
Solitary Sandpiper
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Upland Sandpiper
Whimbrel
Hudsonian Godwit
Marbled Godwit
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Dunlin
Stilt Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Wilson’s Snipe
American Woodcock
Wilson’s Phalarope
Red-necked Phalarope
Little Gull
Bonaparte’s Gull
Ring-billed Gull
California Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Caspian Tern
Black Tern
Common Tern
Arctic Tern
Forster’s Tern
Parasitic Jaeger
Black Guillemot
Rock Pigeon
[Eurasian Collared-Dove]
Mourning Dove
Passenger Pigeon
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Black-billed Cuckoo
Barn Owl
Eastern Screech-Owl
Great Horned Owl
Northern Hawk Owl
Barred Owl
Great Gray Owl
Long-eared Owl
Short-eared Owl
Boreal Owl
Pre2004
3
3
5
71
12
4
1
18
12
21
1
104
331
60
7
24
16
636
2
1881
49(50)
178
1264
824
26
62
5
1
320
[1]
2321
4
127
499
41
128
866
25
40
22
134
34
10
2004
2
1
2005
2
1
7
1
1
1
12
15
12
1
3
2
3
1
4
1
1
1
2
1
3
3
12
1
1
5
5
3
5
4
10
1
1
26
30
25
13
1
4
18
32
2
24
2
1
5
1
SPECIES
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Common Nighthawk
Chuck-will’s-widow
Whip-poor-will
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Am.Three-toed Woodpecker
Black-backed Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Acadian Flycatcher
‘Traill’s Flycatcher Complex’
Alder Flycatcher
Willow Flycatcher
Least Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Western Kingbird
Eastern Kingbird
Loggerhead Shrike
Northern Shrike
White-eyed Vireo
Yellow-throated Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Philadelphia Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Gray Jay
Blue Jay
Black-billed Magpie
American Crow
Common Raven
Horned Lark
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
N. Rough-winged Swallow
10
Pre2004
31
317
1
90
156
234
465
320
67
690
473
559
34
152
1298
223
28
331
21
168(171)
172
66
125
352
2244(2288)
478
4
1978(1983)
559(560)
14
100(101)
88
207(208)
43
786
84
565
16
1015
397(401)
206(208)
917
7180(7182)
498(499)
2004 2005
3
2
1
3
27
6
22
22
15
45
1
4
48
14
1
6
12
5
24
47
23
48
4
1
46
8
11
6
23
14
7
13
46
7
2
7
6
42
8
24
20
3
1
1
6
58
33
25
11
28
37
6
7
277
14
45
49
5
8
194
9
Cont’d. Table 1: Card Totals per Species
SPECIES
Bank Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Boreal Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Carolina Wren
Bewick’s Wren
House Wren
Winter Wren
Sedge Wren
Marsh Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Eastern Bluebird
Mountain Bluebird
Veery
Gray-cheeked Thrush
Swainson’s Thrush
Hermit Thrush
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
American Pipit
Bohemian Waxwing
Cedar Waxwing
Blue-winged Warbler
Golden-winged Warbler
‘Brewster’s Warbler’
[Lawrence’s Warbler]
Tennessee Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Cape May Warbler
Pre2004
1580
1094
4271(4276)
837(844)
76
14
137(138)
158
123
52(53)
5
2196(2271)
46
63(72)
539(578)
21
30(36)
183(187)
6856(7152)
2
561(562)
2
211(212)
249
1501(1502)
8350(8397)
1665(1669)
179(185)
935(940)
3166(3270)
8
1
1266(1271)
18
36
2
31
2
111
7
2130
331
154(155)
6
2004
19
28
50
35
1
2
3
6
3
2005
14
40
59
36
SPECIES
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Pine Warbler
[Kirtland’s Warbler]
Prairie Warbler
7
Palm Warbler
4
Bay-breasted Warbler
1
Blackpoll Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
107 54 Black-and-white Warbler
2
1
American Redstart
1
Prothonotary Warbler
2
Ovenbird
1
Northern Waterthrush
1
3
Louisiana Waterthrush
4
3
[Connecticut Warbler]
55 43 Mourning Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
11 30 Hooded Warbler
Wilson’s Warbler
1
2
Canada Warbler
9
5
Yellow-breasted Chat
234 210 Scarlet Tanager
230 166 Eastern Towhee
36 28 American Tree Sparrow
5
2
Chipping Sparrow
8
5
Clay-coloured Sparrow
37 23 Field Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
12 18 Savannah Sparrow
1
1
Grasshopper Sparrow
1
Henslow’s Sparrow
LeConte’s Sparrow
Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrow
1
Fox Sparrow
1
Song Sparrow
1
Lincoln’s Sparrow
1
Swamp Sparrow
12 33 White-throated Sparrow
8
7
Harris’s Sparrow
1
2
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
11
Pre2004
58
240
72
41
18(27)
49
22
19
7
87
77
566(567)
167(188)
632
123(128)
17
[1]
48
234
289(290)
17
32
21
104
183
13
2015(2018)
48
438
544(545)
9
781(783)
89
13
11
4
9
2257(2261)
33
298
563(566)
1
26
202
2004
1
4
2
1
2005
2
5
1
2
10
17
65
1
1
18
45
6
5
2
2
82
1
1
13
2
1
7
3
1
2
18
1
1
4
1
33
1
27
1
16
2
2
3
1
22
6
3
8
4
3
6
Cont’d. Table 1: Card Totals per Species
SPECIES
Lapland Longspur
Smith’s Longspur
[Snow Bunting]
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Dickcissel
Bobolink
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Western Meadowlark
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Rusty Blackbird
Brewer’s Blackbird
Common Grackle
Pre2004
14
17
564(566)
843
265
33(36)
167(168)
8121(8124)
449
9
50
46
261
2942
2004 2005
3
3
21 30
128 114
15 20
5
1
38 49
2
1
2
19
1
SPECIES
Brown-headed Cowbird
Orchard Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
Pine Grosbeak
Purple Finch
House Finch
Red Crossbill
White-winged Crossbill
Common Redpoll
Hoary Redpoll
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
Evening Grosbeak
House Sparrow
Pre2004
4161
93
979(983)
1 & [1]
136
343(347)
9
10(12)
24
44(47)
1552
12
1621(1652)
2004
137
16
2005
148
4
16
1
5
1
1
2
3
12
1
24
5
11
14
Note: Brackets [ ] around a name indicate a hypothetical breeding species; brackets [ ] around a corresponding card
number indicate a nesting or nestings lacking documentation. Where a number is followed by a number in
parentheses ( ), used only for non-colonial species, the card number total is on the left, and the nest number total is
in parentheses ( ), indicating that more than one nest was described on some of the cards, eg. Bald Eagle, House
Sparrow, etc.
Pileated Woodpecker feeding young (PIWO202678B)
six weeks after egg photo on page 2 - photo G. K. Peck
12
Table 2A: Current Regions – Total of Cards and Species to 2005
Card
Spp.
REGION
Algoma (ALGO)
1232
114
Brant (BRAN)
713
84
Bruce (BRUC)
3216
157
Chatham-Kent (post-2000) (CHAT)
204
61
Cochrane (COCH)
1427
132
Dufferin (DUFF)
3335
106
Dundas** (DUND)
105
32
Durham RM (DURH)
3386
132
Elgin (ELGI)
1819
134
Essex (ESSE)
2530
118
Frontenac (FRON)
1695
150
Glengarry ** (GLEN)
500
70
Grenville ** (GREN)
290
69
Grey (GREY)
4553
130
Haldimand (post-2000) (HALD)
56
29
Haliburton (HALI)
1202
107
Halton RM (HALT)
1953
108
Hamilton (post-2000) (HAMI)
32
19
Hastings (HAST)
646
101
Huron (HURO)
1210
76
Kawartha Lakes (post-2000) (KAWA)
193
69
Kenora (KENO)
3110
175
Lambton (LAMB)
1499
131
Lanark (LANA)
1371
88
Leeds ** (LEED)
1553
132
Lennox & Addington (LENN)
728
109
Manitoulin (MANI)
1353
140
** combined counties (here considered separately)
REGION
Middlesex (MIDD)
Muskoka DM (MUSK)
Niagara (NIAG)
Nipissing (NIPI)
Norfolk (post-2000) (NORF)
Northumberland (NORT)
Ottawa (post-2000) (OTTA)
Oxford (OXFO)
Parry Sound (PARR)
Peel RM (PEEL)
Perth (PERT)
Peterborough (PETE)
Prescott ** (PRES)
Prince Edward (PRIN)
Rainy River (RAIN)
Renfrew (RENF)
Russell ** (RUSS)
Simcoe (SIMC)
Stormont ** (STOR)
Sudbury (SUDB)
Thunder Bay (THUN)
Timiskaming (TIMI)
Toronto (TORO)
Waterloo RM (WATE)
Wellington (WELL)
York RM (YORK)
NWT/Nunavut/Misc.
Card
3181
1212
2332
3780
1621
4393
511
1718
2764
1079
337
3442
170
1476
1343
589
104
8177
131
2327
2181
1116
2073
1083
3344
3307
114
Spp.
139
110
113
153
85
128
77
106
139
80
76
131
65
112
130
97
43
169
38
146
151
106
131
82
128
134
25
Card
2075
4300
1390
1464
1792
837
344
2064
7021
Spp.
124
137
111
103
125
102
110
93
141
Table 2B: Historical Regions – Total of Cards and Species to 1974 and to 2000
Card
REGION
Carleton Co. (pre-1975) (CARX)
896
Durham Co. (pre-1975) (DURX)
2189
Haldimand Co. (pre-1975) (HADX)
150
Haldimand-Norfolk (pre-2001) (HANX) 4072
Halton Co. (pre-1975) (HALX)
2311
Hamilt.-Wentworth (pre-2001) (HAWX) 1820
Kent Co. (pre-2001) (KENX)
3793
Lincoln Co. (pre-1975) (LINX)
887
Muskoka Dist. (pre-1975) (MUSX)
1179
Spp.
106
131
63
150
110
103
143
84
112
REGION
Norfolk Co. (pre-1975) (NORX)
Ontario Co. (pre-1975) (ONTX)
Ottawa-Carleton (pre-2001) (OTCX)
Peel Co. (pre-1975) (PEEX)
Victoria Co. (pre-2001) (VICX)
Waterloo Co. (pre-1975) (WATX)
Welland Co. (pre-1975) (WELX)
Wentworth Co. (pre-1975) (WENX)
York Co. (pre-1975) (YORX)
Total cards --Total nesting species ---
13
134,601
289
Table 3: Contributors and Card Numbers processed for ONRS 37
NAME
Card
NAME
Card
NAME
Card
NAME
Aikins, B.F.
Alexander, S.
Bellerby, G.
Belyea, G.
Binsfeld, G.
Bird, G. & H.
Brace, D.
Bryan, R.
Bryan, S.
Burke, D./Forest survey
Carlson, M.
Carpentier, G.
Cartwright, C.
Catto, M.
Cecile, C.P.
Chopra, A.
Clements, B.
Coady, G.
Coles, G.
Crysler, D.
Dalgleish, M.
Davidson, A.
Daynard, J.
Derbyshire, D.
Dewey, J.
Dodsworth, S.
Doucette, R.
Eagles, P.
Ellingwood, C.
Ertolahti, A
Ewart, J.
Fidler, B.
Fleguel, M.
Frank, R.
Friis, C.
Gage, S.R.
Gahbauer, M.
Galpern, P.
Gibson, F.
Gibson, G.
Gildner, D.T.
Giles, E.
Goodwin, C.
1
2
4
40
49
478
3
4
32
996
5
5
98
35
1
1
167
111
15
3
2
4
1
59
15
3
1
2
1
8
7
1
5
17
1
4
3
8
16
1
6
6
2
Grandfield, J.
Griffen, J.
Hagberg, E.
Hamill, S.
Hamilton, K.
Harding, B.
Harpley, P.
Harris, C.G.
Haselmayer, J.
Heagy, A.
Hodgson, P.
Hughes, L.
Jackson, J.
Jacobsen, A.
James, R.D.
Jobes, A.P.
Johanson, A.
Johnson, J.
Johnson, M
Jones, C.
Kerr, D.J.
Killeen, R.
Kils, J.
King, J.
Kings, D.
Klein, W.
Kopysh, N.
Korol, B.
Lemon, J.
Lewington, D.
Lipinski, R.
Lockhart, S.
Lorimer, J.
Love, J.
Lumsden, H.G.
Mackenzie, A.
Martin, C.
Martin, D.
Martin, P.
Martin, V.
McCracken, J.
McDermott, C.
McIlveen, W.
1
1
2
81
1
2
11
14
1
1
1
1
1
7
97
28
7
93
1
1
2
3
4
6
2
1
1
21
1
21
1
1
1
1
26
3
7
8
1
1
1
1
2
McLeod, M.
Meissner, E.
Melcher, N.
Millen, B.
Mills, M.
Morden, B.
Mosquin, T.
Murphy, G.
Murray, R.
Nicoll, F.
O’Dell, M.
Oliver, A.
Ontbirds
Parker, A.
Peck, G.K.
Peck, M.K.
Phippen, S.
Pietracupa, D.
Pratt, P.
Ratcliff, B.
Read, P.
Reaume, J.
Richards, J.
Richardson, L.
Riggs, M.
Robinson, M.
Romaniuk, S.
Rule, J.W.
Ryder, V.
Sandilands, A.
Scanlon, D.
Schmidt, L.
Shackleton, K.
Shook, J.
Sinclair, A.
Sirois, L.
Smith, J.C.
Stankiewicz, R.
Street, M.
Sturdee, I.
Sutherland, D.A.
Swainson, R.
Taylor, N.
6
4
1
1
9
1
1
20
1
32
3
30
2
2
36
155
3
2
2
52
27
2
16
2
2
1
10
2
1
7
5
1
8
14
1
110
6
4
2
3
25
1
2
Timmerman, A.
Tomlinson, D.W.
Tozer, D.
Trottier, J.
Trute, L.
Vallé, E.
Vasiliauskas, S.
Waddington, J.
Wainio-Keizer, K.
Walters, B.
Warianko, M.
Weseloh, C.
Wiercinski, M.
Wilcox, A.
Willcock, D.
Williams, G.
Wilson, A.E.
Woodliffe, P.A.
Wormington, A.
Yusek, W.
14
Card
1
7
3
2
3
1
8
1
1
15
7
1
1
19
1
1
14
30
63
1